Player Of The Week Helped Spark Win With Defense

Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s football team has been gaining a reputation for
being a big-play, passing-attack team. But in Saturday’s game at Westfield, the Panthers
got some very big contributions from the defense to put away a 23-14 win.
The victory gave the Panthers (2-1) their first winning streak since 2005.
Senior outside linebacker Scott Beaufait was in on eight tackles, had a sack and was
in on a tackle with senior middle linebacker C.J. Guarino, which resulted in a safety
late in the second quarter to give the Panthers a 9-7 lead.
Beaufait is the Courier News Football Player of the Week.

Beaufait

“”We knew they were running power, so 56 (C.J. Guarino) he came up and filled the
hole, got in the backfield and was holding (A.J. Murray) by the waste; I saw the hole I
knew if I didn’t come up hard he’d get out of the end zone, I came up and hit him and it
was a safety,” Beaufait said. “”It was a big play. I know we did whatever we could. The
safety put us up by two and we got the momentum back.”
On the play before, Guarino and Beaufait nearly got the safety, but Murray was
able to push out of the end zone.
“”Scott was just doing his reads and C.J. was (delayed) blitzing,”
Bridgewater-Raritan coach Scott Bray said.

Guarino

“”I came on a delayed blitz, shot right through the gap, the quarterback came up
right in front of me, I wrapped him up, Scott came out of nowhere, made the second hit
and we took him down in the end zone,” Guarino said.
Beaufait followed up a strong game in a 53-7 win over Montgomery Sept. 17 when he had
10 tackles and two for losses. Last year, he had 42 solos, 20 assists and a sack.
“”He’s been consistent,” Bray said.
Friday night, the Panthers go for their third straight win when they play at
Hillsborough (2-1). Game time is 7 p.m.

About Harry Frezza

Harry Frezza is a proud 1974 graduate of Bound Brook High School. He graduated from Rowan University. The Somerset County native is in his 35th year at the Courier News. He's the father of three children -- Thomas, 24, Nicole, 22 and Jamie Janeen 20. All are graduates of Nazareth Area High School (Pa.) home of the Blue Eagles.